WARSAW, Poland (OSV News) — Their names may have faded from history books, but on May 31, the Church officially remembered them forever. In a solemn ceremony in Braniewo, northeastern Poland, 15 nuns from the Congregation of St. Catherine Virgin and Martyr, were beatified — recognized as martyrs who gave their lives during the final, brutal months of World War II.

The sisters were killed in 1945 as Soviet troops advanced into the region. Rather than flee, these women of peace chose to remain with the vulnerable people in their care, offering comfort and protection amid chaos and violence. Their witness, long overlooked, was honored by the church in a liturgy rich with gratitude and reverence.

Sister Cristofora (Krzysztofa) Klomfass and her 14 companions died horrific deaths, often while

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